The automation of repetitive human tasks in a build verification process leads to increased productivity and improved quality. Build verification consists of determining whether proper functional operation is maintained after modules are linked together to create a product. The build verification process must be repeated following any change to any one of the individual modules comprising the product, thereby resulting in a large number of build verifications for even the simplest products.
The problem is further exacerbated when National Language Support (NLS) is required. Each English language panel must be translated to its foreign equivalent. For a product like OfficeVision/Multiple Virtual Support (OV/MVS), marketed by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM Corp.), NLS required translations into over 19 foreign languages. OfficeVision/Multiple Virtual Support required many builds during the NLS translation task with build verification conducted by a tester manually stepping through the verification procedures. It should be recognized that build verification varies with the product under test thereby making the automation process even more difficult. For example, OfficeVision/Multiple Virtual Support is composed of Application System (AS), Personal Service (PS), and Calendar functions. Proper build verification, for NLS translation purposes, required the product be loaded into its working environment and the user displays checked using fast path commands. Fast path commands are commands that are entered by a user to go directly to panels/options they want, instead of going serially through all the panels/options available. It is in effect, a "short cut", permitting a user to directly access the final panel/option in a chain. OV/MVS required a tester check over 91 fast path commands for proper operation during the build verification process while the product was resident in its operating environment. Human errors often resulted when a tester failed to check one of these fast path commands. For OV/MVS, build verification required a tester spend at least fifteen minutes per language checking the fast path commands for approximately 10-25 builds per week with the resultant build verification consuming over three hours of a tester time.
Consequently, what is needed is a technique for automating the build verification procedure to insure that a complete and accurate check has been conducted in the shortest possible time.